Pushed

By A.F. Crowell

UNTO OBLIVION

Nurse Leila Matthews has seen it all, or so she thought until this morning. Into the chaos of her trauma ward walked a man more intense than anything she has ever known. His smile tore away all her defenses, and his kiss ignited flames damped for far too long—and a knowledge that such dangerous ripples are only the beginning.

Brody Davis is anything but safe. Wealthy, handsome, and unrepentantly single, the billionaire’s first priority is himself...and the pleasure of every woman he’s sure to leave. Yet his best friend’s baby sister is temptation itself. If any female could make him stay, it would be Leila, whose sweet lips and sweeter flesh push him to be better than he believes he can. He desires a quick conquest. The battle for Leila’s heart is yet to be fought. And he is not the only combatant.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 27, 2015
• ISBN: 9781942886709

Book preview

Chapter One: Leila

The ER was relatively quiet for a Friday at 4:45 a.m., especially since it had been raining for the better part of the humid summer night. I was a four-year veteran of the Shock Trauma Center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Over the years I have seen it all, so nothing surprised or rattled me anymore.

Well, nothing until this Friday morning.

I was changing my scrub top for the first time that shift when a call came in from paramedics in route. I caught only the last few words, GSW to the chest with massive blood loss, five minutes out.

Adrenaline started to pump through my veins, as it did every time they had a ballistics trauma in route. In the back of my mind, I cursed myself for being excited at someone else’s horrible misfortune. But this is my job and I’m damn good at it. My best friend, partner in crime and fellow trauma RN, Barb Kelly, walked up to me as I was entering the locker room.

Hey Lei, did you hear there is a GSW in route? she asked with a little too much enthusiasm.

Yeah, I was just gonna change really quick, it’s still five minutes out. My last case was this huge biker with a superficial laceration and damn if he wasn’t a big baby. The guy jumped at the sight of the lidocaine and knocked over the Betadine, which of course spilled all over me. Pulling the wet scrub top over my head, I tossed it in my locker.

Barb glanced over her shoulder, heading to the bathroom. See ya in there. Oh hey, did they announce which trauma room they are putting him in?

Talking through fabric as I pulled on a clean ceil blue scrub top, I told her, "Nah, I wasn’t really paying too much attention. All I heard was GSW and I knew I had to change quickly so I could be the first one in there and beat you. I haven’t had my adrenaline fix tonight. And before you ask, no, the big biker baby does not count." I stuck my tongue out at her with a giggle.

Barb chuckled and rolled her eyes as she closed the door to the bathroom. Well, let me know which room. There is enough to go around.

I shook my head and started out the locker room door back to the pit to see where the charge nurse had assigned the incoming trauma. On the way down the hall, the call came overhead, "Incoming GSW two minutes out trauma three."

Damn, that was on the other side of the ER.

Well, there is no way in hell I am running down the hall in my Danskos, I muttered under my breath. The last thing I needed to do was the Dansko roll on the way to the only really good trauma of the night. They are great shoes if you’re on your feet for twelve hours at a time, but definitely not for running. I picked up the pace, careful not to fall, but enough to beat Barb there. That’ll teach her to stop to pee.

I reached trauma three with time to spare and went about setting up the room just so. Then I gowned up, got on my gloves and ear loop mask, then put on a pair of glasses. Ten hours into my last twelve-hour shift for a week and this case was probably going to take me right to the end of shift.

The overhead speaker called out again, "Leila Matthews please call three-four-seven-six."

UGH. Who the hell wanted me right now?

I was on my way to the nurse’s station to answer the page, when I heard the paramedics calling out vitals and running down the hall with the trauma. As I rounded the corner back into the trauma corridor, I saw way too many cops for a single GSW.

My heart started pounding as it always did when I saw that many cops in the ER clumped together; it meant the GSW was an officer.

Silently, I said a prayer for the fallen officer. As I approached the room and pushed my way through the army of men, I could hear Dr. Miller hollering out orders.

Page the trauma surgeon on call STAT. And call the OR and get a room ready now!

Chapter Two: Leila

I made my way into trauma three to see Mary and Derrick rushing around working on the patient. I ran straight to the phone on the wall and paged Dr. Drake Thomas to the ER. I called up to the OR and had them start prepping a room the way Drake required for GSWs. As I turned back around, my whole world stopped and the bottom dropped out.

No way. This couldn’t be happening. I rushed to the side of the stretcher and gasped in horror. Drew, oh my God, Drew. Talk to me Drew, can you hear me?

Mary looked up at me. Leila, what the hell? Do you know this officer?

Tears were streaking down my face. This is my brother. Drew. Turning my attention back to him, I grabbed his hand. Drew, can you hear me? Please open your eyes.

Derrick came around the stretcher, grabbed me and tried to pull me back, but I fought out of his grasp.

Leila, you can’t stay in here, you know this. He’s your brother. You’ve gotta step aside. Let us help him. We’ve got this. You know we’ll do everything we can to save him, but you gotta go.

Turning around, Derrick got the attention of one of the SWAT officers that came in with Drew. Hey man, can ya please get her out of here, she doesn’t need to see this.

Jasper Smith, sergeant of the narcotics unit, stepped forward and scooped me up in a hug, and guided me to the glass front door that was swung wide-open. Leila, I tried to reach you in route before we got here. I didn’t want you finding out like this.

Jasper was a fifteen-year veteran of the North Charleston Police Department and had kept an eye out for Drew over the last ten years. Jasper had been Drew’s sergeant when he started with NCPD, at the ripe old age of twenty-one. Drew eventually moved out of Narcotics to the K-9 unit and now onto the SWAT team, but they stayed close. Jasper and his wife, Donna, had Drew and I over for many Sunday dinners. They didn’t have any children of their own. So after Mom died, they sort of became our surrogate parents.

I took a deep breath to try to regain my composure, but failed miserably and ended up rattling off questions like an interrogator. Jasper, what the hell happened? How did this happen? I talked to Drew before my shift and he said it was gonna be a quiet night. Y’all only had one warrant to serve and it would be a piece of cake. Fisting Jasper’s shirt, I cried, How’d he get shot?

Standing back, Jasper scrubbed his hand down his face. We got shitty intel and…I don’t know. It’s like they knew we were comin’ or somethin’. We always hit these houses at crazy hours, when most people are sleeping, so we’ve got the element of surprise. But these fuckers were waitin’ in the house for us.

Shaking my head, I couldn’t process what he was saying. I have to find out what’s going on with Drew. I turned and stalked back toward trauma three and was met just outside of the door by Barb.

Oh no, don’t tell me I missed all of the fun. The patient didn’t come in DOA did he? Barb joked, and then stopped. Wait. Leila, what the hell is going on? Why are you out here?

Barb, you have to get in there. You have to help him, I demanded.

Leila, you aren’t makin’ any sense. What’re you talkin’ about? Help who? Why aren’t you in there? Barb started to rush down the hall, getting closer to the room.

It’s Drew. Drew is the GSW. Oh God, Barb, it’s bad. It’s so bad. Please. You’ve gotta get in there, I pleaded with her.

Barb stopped short of the doors, turned back to me to say, I promise, I’ll do everything I can, then sprinted into the room.

Barb, wait. I want an…update. But it was too late, the door was closed and the curtain drawn. Now I had to wait, something I didn’t do well under ordinary circumstances. Being on this side of the door was a horror I had never contemplated.

Pacing the corridor, I thought of the times I came out here myself telling patients’ families to have a seat and someone would be out shortly with an update. Heaven help the person that tried to say that to me right now. Chances were good I’d punch them in the throat if they did. I really didn’t know the extent of Drew’s injuries, but I knew enough to surmise they were bad. Really bad.

Standing across the hall from Drew’s room, I shed my gear, then leaned back against the wall and slid down until I clutched my knees to my chest. Dear God. This was not happening.

Our father walked out on us when I was nine years old, then my mom was killed in a drunk driving accident two weeks before my eighteenth birthday. There was no way God would be cruel enough to take Drew from me too. Silently, I prayed to the heavens above not to take the only family I had left. Drew wasn’t just my brother, he’s my rock. He has always been there for me, even when I didn’t want him to be.

Pulled from my thoughts as a strong, hand landed on my shoulder, I looked up from my not so comfy spot on the floor to see Bobby Gray, Drew’s best friend and partner. He held out a calloused hand to help me up from the floor.

Wrapping his strong tatted arms around me, he pulled me into a tight hug and whispered, I am so sorry Lei. What can I do?

Tears threatened yet again, but I pushed them down. There’s nothin’ we can do. They won’t let me in there with him. They haven’t even come out to tell me anythin’. I don’t know what to do right now…damn it. Please tell me y’all got the asshole who did this.

Yeah, we did babe. Drew actually got him. Clean shot right between the eyes. Dead before his sorry piece of shit body hit the floor. Whispering so quietly I could just barely hear him, Bobby added, ’Tween me and you, I put another one in ’em just for good measure. Seems like he deserved it.

Bobby released me just as the curtain and door to Drew’s room flew open. Barb was perched on top of Drew, counting out chest compressions as they ran down the hall toward the elevators that went up to the OR. Dr. Miller nodded once, signaling me to walk with him.

Leila, quickly. We’re lookin’ at a single GSW, left chest with hemothorax. We got a chest tube in and are movin’ to the OR. I’m not gonna lie, it’s bad, but we’ve seen worse cases come in and walk out. Drake’s on and Barb said she is staying with him. I’m gonna go up and assist. And before you ask, he’s not regained consciousness. I’ll send you a text in a while to update you, he said hastily looking back toward me while still moving toward the elevator.

In the blink of an eye, he was gone and my heart sunk. Although I was surrounded by a truckload of officers I considered friends, I felt hopelessly alone.

I couldn’t lose my brother.

Mustering courage I didn’t feel, I gestured to the crowd. Hey, y’all don’t need to sit around here and wait. I’ll tell Bobby as soon as I have an update. Ya know, it’s probably gonna be hours before Drew comes out of surgery and the waiting room up there isn’t very big. Go on home. Bobby’ll send out a text as soon as we know more.

Heads nodded in agreement and after a few mumbles, the SWAT guys slowly filed out of the corridor. Everyone left, except for the two who I knew wouldn’t budge. Bobby and Jasper. They were family.

Jasper walked over, draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me toward the elevator. He’s gonna be okay sweet pea.

Bobby shook hands with the last few guys as they were leaving then turned to follow us up to the waiting room to wait for news about Drew.

Chapter Three: Leila

More than two and a half hours had passed, and several of the nurses and techs from the ER stopped by to ask about Drew. I must have heard a half dozen times that I needed to go downstairs and take a break or go get something to eat. Politely, I shook my head and told every one of them I would not leave until I knew Drew was okay.

After I had paced the same pattern around the chairs in the waiting room for what seemed like the hundredth time, I heard a smooth, deep voice ask about Drew. I turned toward the information desk, set just inside of the surgical waiting room, to see a man I’d never met. He was dressed in a sharp, custom-tailored suit. Cautiously, I moved toward the desk. When he turned to face me, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Holy. Shit. He was fucking hot with a capital H.

A face defined by a strong, chiseled jaw, he had sensual, full lips and dark unruly waves adorned his head. At least six-two, maybe even three, he was a hell of a lot taller than my five-foot-three-inch frame. He sported a subtle scruff that screamed sex god, and had piercing baby blues to complete the devastating package. Then, as if all that wasn’t enough, he gave me a rock star smile when I started toward him.

That smile could melt the panties off a lesbian.

Shit. I could feel all of the blood rushing to my face. Oh great, now would be the time my body betrayed my completely inappropriate lustful and wicked thoughts. There were several very bad things I wanted to do to Mr. Blue Eyes and a few he could do to me.

Damn it Leila! Stop drooling over the man candy. Your brother is fighting for his life.

I’m sorry, I couldn’t help overhear you ask about Drew Matthews. Who are you? I tilted my head.

Glancing down at my badge, Blue Eyes smiled softly and held out his hand. Hi. I’m Brody. Brody Davis. You must be Drew’s baby sister, Leila.

I hesitated before shaking his large, beautifully manicured hand. Squinting, thinking back to a few of Drew’s comments over the years, I remembered hearing the name Brody on several occasions. Yeah, I’m Drew’s sister. How’d you know Drew was here?

Brody stared down at me. I happened to be watching the news while running at the gym. It said that Drew was shot while serving a narcotics warrant with SWAT this morning. I’m terribly sorry we’re meeting under these circumstances.

Finally releasing my hand, he stepped back then undid the button holding his sleek, black, designer suit jacket closed. How is he? I mean, do you have any idea how it’s going in there? Have they said anything? I could hear warmth and compassion in his questions.

Touched by his obvious concern, I answered honestly. It’s really bad. He has a hemothorax and they put in a chest tube. A friend of mine, Drake Thomas, the surgeon working on Drew, is the best. My BFF, Barb, is the RN who went up from the ER with him. Someone’s supposed to text me, but I still haven’t heard anything. I stopped abruptly and pinched my nose between my thumb and middle finger. Oh God, listen to me ramblin’ on. You must think I’m crazy.

Half smiling, Brody reached out and rubbed his hand down my right shoulder. No, I don’t think you’re crazy. I do, however, think you’re stressed and probably need to sit down and take a deep breath.

Why does everyone keep saying that? I’m fine. I don’t want to sit down. I don’t want to take a deep breath. I don’t want coffee or something to eat. I just want to know what’s going on with my brother. Is that too much to ask? I shouted, flailing my arms about like a damn lunatic.

As soon as the words left my mouth, I was so embarrassed I dropped down to one of the chairs and buried my face in my hands. Oh shit. Brody, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to totally flip out on you. It’s just I am so… Scared. But no way am I admitting that to anyone. …worried. I didn’t mean to take it out on you. Everyone keeps tellin’ me to go eat, or go take a walk or a nap.

I think you’re entitled to have a small meltdown, all things considered. If you weren’t a little frazzled I’d be worried. He took the seat next to mine. Would you mind if I waited here with you for a while?

Of course not, please feel free. And don’t take it personally if I get up and start pacin’. I just can’t seem to make myself relax.

At that moment, as I took my phone out of the front pocket of my scrubs, the waiting room door opened and in walked Drake. The look on his face did not help the uneasy tension that had settled in my gut. Brody stood up beside me; without realizing it, I reached for Brody’s hand. Jasper and Bobby crossed the waiting room in a flash to hear the news.

Hey Lei. Drake approached and pulled me close, kissing the top of my head before releasing me. Looking down, silently he sought permission to speak freely.

Hey Drake. Introducing the men, I indicated, This is Brody, a friend of Drew’s, tipping my head toward Bobby and Jasper, and Bobby and Jasper work with Drew. It’s okay, you can talk in front of them.

Drake nodded. We were able to get the bleeding under control and he’s stable, for now. But I wasn’t able to get the bullet out. There was just too much blood in the field to visualize it when we first got in there. My main focus was to repair all the damage and stopping the bleed. I’m gonna send Drew down for a CT, to get a better idea of where the bullet is. We’ll probably have to take him back in to remove it in a day or two. Drake paused and pulled me to the side. After CT, he’ll be moved up to ICU. You should probably go get something to eat and take a break for a while. I know you worked downstairs all last night. You have to be exhausted.

I’ll be okay. I just wanna see Drew, I pleaded. Just for a minute.

Leila, you know it’s gonna be a few more hours before he’s settled. He’s gotta be moved from recovery to CT, then up to ICU. Let us take care of him. I know that’s especially hard for you to do. He squeezed my hand. Listen you can’t help him if you’re run down.

I have to agree with him sweetheart. Jasper stepped forward. You need to recharge your batteries. Go home, change, eat and then you can come back.

Bobby’s phone started to ring. Gray…. I’m still at the hospital with Drew’s sister. Can’t it wait? I understand that IAB wants their statement. You can’t hold them off for an hour or two? No, Sergeant, I get it. I’ll be there in ten. Ending the call, Bobby walked back over to us. Lei, I’m sorry. I have to go to the station. You’ll call me if anything changes?

Of course.

Jasper, any chance you’re goin’ to the station? I rode in with Drew in the ambulance, Bobby asked after hugging me goodbye.

Yeah, I have to drive past there, I can drop you off. Leila, do you want me to run you to your place after I drop Gray off?

Brody was only three feet away and came over. I can take Leila. he turned to me. Why don’t you let me take you to get a quick bite, then I’ll bring you right back. Promise.

I started to disagree when Drake chimed in. Good idea. Leila let Brody take you to get somethin’ to eat. He can even stop by your house and you can take a quick shower, change clothes and deal with Ruger.

I sighed, signaling my annoyance, knowing I wasn’t going to win this fight. Especially not with Drake, who was just about as stubborn as I was.

Drake waved me off. I can tell you’re gonna be a brat about this, but stop your poutin’ and let Brody take you out of here for a little while. I’d do it myself, but I’m on call for another six hours. Drake looked down at his watch. Okay, it’s almost eight a.m. now and I am officially banning you from ICU until eleven a.m. And before you even think about callin’ anyone who you might know up there, I will be callin’ in favors of my own just to keep you out.